Tourism for all – UNWTO presents “Accessibility and Inclusive Tourism Development” - Compendium of Best Practices

• All Regions
• 19 May 2021

The UNWTO Affiliate Members Department, within the framework of the activities of the Working Group on Accessible Tourism, organized the Expert Meeting on Accessible Tourism – Good Practices on Accessible Tourism in Nature Areas at FITUR Next.

This event provided a space to recognize the importance of incorporating accessibility into the tourism practices in nature environments, share knowledge and experiences by UNWTO Affiliate Members and other tourism stakeholders, and provide recommendation on how to strengthen accessibility and create an accessible tourism for all.

At the event, the publication Accessibility and Inclusive Tourism Development – Compendium of Best Practices, available in the UNWTO E-Library, was launched and presented to the audience. This publication is the result of the work carried out in the last months by the Working Group on Accessible Tourism, coordinated by the Affiliate Members Department and chaired by the Spanish Network for Accessible Tourism (Red Estable).

We trust this publication will provide all relevant stakeholders with tools and resources to make their tourism destinations, facilities and services accessible for all

Its aim is to create an accessible pathway in nature, from which to descry a new approach for inclusive tourism development in natural areas, which is very much in line with the UNWTO priority to foster an Accessible Tourism for All and so contributing to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The compilation of best practices included in the publication and the final recommendations provides innovative, inclusive, and sustainable solutions that enable access to nature for all the people.

In the words of UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili: There is still a lot of work to be done, as we are still far from guaranteeing a universally accessible tourism sector. However, we trust this publication will provide all relevant stakeholders with tools and resources to make their tourism destinations, facilities and services accessible for all. We also hope it will serve as a source of inspiration for them to continue working, so that tourism becomes truly accessible.

Within the framework of the event, representatives of the entities which contributed to the publication shared with the audience their projects, all very different in terms of contents but sharing the common goal of promoting an Accessible Tourism for All and supporting the right of people with disabilities to travel. Accessible accommodations in nature, accessibility to natural parks and beaches, and the use of plastic to manufacture accessible products were only some of the topics that were presented.

RELATED LINKS

• Download the news release in PDF
• Expert Meeting on Accessible Tourism: Good Practices on Accessible Tourism in Nature Areas
• Accessibility and Inclusive Tourism Development in Nature Areas – Compendium of Best Practices

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UNWTO Supports Special Edition of the CaixaBank Hotels & Tourism Awards at FITUR

• All Regions
• 19 May 2021

The third edition of the CaixaBank Hotels & Tourism Awards was held today at the CaixaBank stand at Fitur, the first major international mobility experience in Europe this year, with the presence of Ion Vilcu, Director of the Affiliate Members Department of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and representatives of CaixaBank Hotels & Tourism.

These awards are yet another example of the commitment of CaixaBank—a UNWTO Affiliate Member—to the tourism market and, specifically, to social and innovative projects in the tourism sector in Spain.

In this special edition, the best social and innovative initiatives launched by the sector in 2020 to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis were recognized. Three private Spanish entities in the hotel sector, Artiem Hotels, Apartmentos Vistasol and HOSBEC, were announced as the winners in the national phase of this third edition for their respective initiatives in the “Social”, “Innovation” and “Institutional” categories of the awards.

The jury for the awards was composed of CaixaBank specialists in the tourism sector and Corporate Responsibility, professionals from leading institutions in the sector, such as the UNWTO and the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations (CEHAT), as well as representatives of chambers of commerce.

The UNWTO welcomes with great enthusiasm the initiatives of CaixaBank Hotels & Tourism aimed at implementing more sustainable practices, which ultimately make tourism companies more competitive, with the goal of promoting the development of the sector in line with the values and priorities of the 2030 Agenda.

RELATED LINKS

• Download the news release in PDF
• FITUR 2021 | UNWTO Activities

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Ideas to Build Back Better: SDGs Start-up Competition Final Held in Madrid

• All Regions
• 18 May 2021

Innovators with ideas to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals have been celebrated in Madrid. The final of the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition saw 25 entrepreneurs and enterprises recognized for their creativity and commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 ambitious goals.

Organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), with the support of over 25 partners from across the global innovation ecosystem, this competition is the biggest innovation initiative ever launched by any part of the wider United Nations system. In all, more than 10,000 applications from 138 different countries were received, each of them promising to advance one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Today’s winners can inspire new ways to accelerate progress towards sustainability, equality and inclusivity

Winners with common goal

“Today’s winners can inspire new ways to accelerate progress towards sustainability, equality and inclusivity,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in a message congratulating the finalists. Every global region was represented among the 25 winners at the final event in Madrid, held on the eve of the FITUR International Tourism Trade Fair.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili added that “the winners of the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition can get us back on track to building a better, more sustainable future for both people and planet”.

The competition final highlighted the power of tourism to help reach the 2030 Agenda through driving progress in waste and resource management, green energy production, destination experiences and decarbonization, as well as through creating decent jobs for all, promoting inclusivity and gender equality and protecting ecosystems.

The winners of the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition can get us back on track to building a better, more sustainable future for both people and planet

Political and corporate support

The event also highlighted the strong level of political support for UNWTO’s mission to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. Joining Secretary-General Pololikashvili at Madrid’s Royal Theatre were the Ministers of Tourism of Sri Lanka and Panama, the Ambassador of Qatar to Spain, the Mayor of Madrid José Luis Martínez-Almeida and Spain’s Secretary of State for Tourism, Fernando Valdés.

Against the backdrop of the final, UNWTO also supported Apolitical and Mastercard during a special panel event on Digital Country Partnerships, highlighting key actors rebuilding tourism through innovation. Special thanks were also given to sponsors and collaborators of the SDGs Global Startup Competition, including the main partner, Wakalua (the innovation hub of Globalia), partner airline Qatar Airways, and collaborators such as Telefonica, Amazon Web Services, Amadeus, amongst others – see the full list here.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres
MESSAGE TO WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION SDG GLOBAL STARTUP COMPETITION

18 May 2021

We have less than 10 years to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
And we are in the midst of a global pandemic that is setting back progress.
To get back on track, we need to unleash the power of new ideas and embrace a sustainable transformation.
Tourism has a critical role to play, and I commend the United Nations World Tourism Organization for its leadership.
Its SDGs Global Startup Competition is promoting innovation and a better recovery.
The competition attracted more than 10,000 applicants from 138 countries, and the ideas are as diverse as the innovators themselves.
All these startups have the potential to be scaled up and drive a positive transformation in our societies.
They can inspire new ways to accelerate progress towards sustainability, equality and inclusivity.
I thank everyone who has taken part in the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition, and I look forward to seeing these bright ideas being put into action.

Related links

• Download the news release in PDF
• A full list of the 25 winners

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Promoting Innovation and Sustainability as FITUR Returns

• All Regions, Europe
• 14 May 2021

At FITUR: The International Spanish Tourism Trade Fair (Madrid, 19-23 May 2021), UNWTO will ensure sustainability, innovation and responsibility are a central part of the conversation. FITUR was the last global in-person trade fair to take place before the COVID-19 pandemic, and is the first one to return, sending a clear message of the resolve of the tourism sector for a safe and responsible restart.

This year’s trade fair will continue the long-standing partnership between UNWTO and FITUR, with the United Nations specialized agency for tourism addressing the most pressing challenges currently facing the sector while also looking to the future and supporting the tourism talent of tomorrow.

Sustainable development takes the lead

The week kicks off with the 25 winners of the UNWTO SDG Global Startup Competition meeting for a special workshop on winning investment for scaling up. On Tuesday 18 May, the top entrepreneurs and innovators will be celebrated at the Royal Theatre in Spain. The hybrid event will celebrate the diversity of the award-winning ideas for advancing the sustainable development goals and the people behind them. The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has commended UNWTO’s leadership in promoting innovation and will send a message to the winners.

Tourism for all

With FITUR officially opening on Wednesday 19 May, UNWTO hosts an expert meeting on Accessible Tourism featuring good practice in accessibility with a particular focus on tourism in rural and natural areas. Sustainability will be the focus of the UNWTO Affiliate Members meeting on Friday 21 May, giving its members - from the private sector, local and regional governments and academia - the opportunity to present their work, and to network both in-person and virtually.

Investment and innovation for development

The 12th edition of the Tourism Investment and Business Forum for Africa (INVESTOUR) will be held virtually on Thursday 20 May. The gathering of public and private sector tourism leaders will focus on the development of effective strategic partnerships, and on assessing possible travel and tourism trends post-pandemic.

On the same day, UNWTO will also feature in FITUR Talent, highlighting the increasingly important role innovation can play in delivering tourism education and training for all. Similarly exploring the potential of technology to create opportunities, this time for destinations, the Round Table on Tourism and Cinema, will see UNWTO and Netflix come together to assess the role TV and film can play in promoting locations and experience.

Related links

• Download the news release in PDF
• UNWTO Activities FITUR 2021
• Programme FITUR (PDF)

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Committee on Tourism Ethics Recommends Responsible Use of Travel Certificates

• All Regions
• 14 May 2021

COVID-19 certificates for international travel must be free, universally available and non-discriminatory. They must also be limited in time and use, the World Committee on Tourism Ethics has recommended.

As some countries work to welcome back visitors and restart tourism, the Committee met to assess the implications health certificates might have on tourism ethics. As an independent and impartial body of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), it concluded that such certificates can be compatible with ethical tourism, though their use needs to be proportionate, measured and responsible.

The Committee members, drawn from tourism sector leadership, academia and international organizations, adopted the Recommendation on COVID-19 Certificates for International Travel, the product of a series of consultations with experts and stakeholders from around the world. Pascal Lamy, Chair of the Tourism Ethics Committee said: “We hope that this recommendation will provide a global ethical framework that will aid the much-needed recovery of tourism.”

Citing the principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the related Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics, the Committee also recommended that “vaccines should not form part of vaccination holiday packages and must remain a global public good”.

Pascal Lamy’s message on the new Recommendation

Related link

• Download the news release in PDF
• Recommendation on COVID-19 Certificates for International Travel
• UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism

New Report Shows Value of IP to the Tourism Sector

• All Regions
• 6 May 2021

A new report published jointly by WIPO and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on the value of intellectual property in boosting tourism shows how the IP system creates a favorable ecosystem for innovation, entrepreneurship and investment in the sector.

The publication, entitled “Boosting Tourism Development through Intellectual Property,” highlights good practices, features case studies and recommendations for policymakers and other tourism stakeholders on how to ensure that creativity, innovation, traditions and cultural heritage in tourism are properly protected and commercialized and that the benefits are shared by all.

In a joint Foreword, WIPO Director General Daren Tang and UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili, predict that while the tourism sector has taken a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, it will recover and “contribute to reigniting hard-hit economies and societies thanks to its capacity to adapt to changes and offer innovative solutions to new challenges.”

Contribute to reigniting hard-hit economies and societies thanks to its capacity to adapt to changes and offer innovative solutions to new challenges

“In this context, IP rights are powerful tools that can be used to boost tourism development and competitiveness. The IP system is designed to promote creativity and innovation and support efforts by individuals, businesses and other actors to differentiate themselves and their products and services in the marketplace, whether through trademarks, geographical indications, copyrights or patents,” they added.

The publication provides practical guidance for non-IP specialists on how to include IP in tourism product development – from destination branding to tourism policies. It shows how different IP rights can be leveraged to raise funds. And it showcases successful experiences and demonstrates how stakeholders around the globe are using IP rights to add value to tourism services and products, as well as to protect and promote local knowledge, traditions and cultural heritage.

Through examples of producing cheese, tea, pepper, wine or other products, the publication shows how geographical indications and appellations of origin can be used to support the growth of rural tourism and provide benefits to local communities.

To leverage the full potential of the IP system, the report recommends inclusion of IP strategies in national tourism plans and tourism policy strategy for regional and local destinations. Not only does good IP knowledge and management help to make use of the protected intangibles, but it also attracts investments and leverages fundraising opportunities.

Finally, tourism authorities are encouraged to raise awareness among tourism and destinations stakeholders on the importance of appropriate IP knowledge and management to foster the sector’s growth  in these challenging times.

Related links

• Download the news release in PDF
• Boosting Tourism Development through Intellectual Property
• Intellectual Property and Tourism

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